Fire and Ice
by Allie-O-Saurus
Summary: Gray and Lyon happen upon a mysterious girl freezing to death in the mountains. Just as they begin to get to know her, she disappears. What will Gray's reaction be when he finds her back in Fairy Tail? Rated M for violence, launguage and adult themes. NOT LEMONS.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: I promised some people this would be out yesterday, but it's here today because I possibly spilled juice on my Mac and had to clean it up and then forgot to write a chapter 'cause I thought I was going to be brutally murdered by my father. Oops?

Xoxo

Allie-O-Saurus

Chapter One

The tiny flame was the only thing I could focus on. Not the cold, not the wind, or the snow, but the flame. It took all of my focus to keep the tiny blue flame alight. I couldn't bear to think about the events that had unfolded in front of my six-year-old eyes. I had looked into the eyes of death that day, and death had a stare that was unwavering. How I had made it out with my pa, I would never know.

I looked across the tiny flame at my pa. His wrinkled, usually smiling face was blue with cold and tired. Those eyes, once sparkling, were red and puffy from smoke and tears. I, too, had cried. Cried for my father, my mother, my two sisters… I blinked away tears again. I felt so bad for my Pa, looking at him again. He wasn't a mage, and had no desire to be one, but he supported me and my mother. My tiny bluebell flame matched the ones she had been able to conjure, before she died. Once again, I pushed the thought of my mother out of my mind and I sighed. I was tired, but I could not sleep. If we lost the flame, we would freeze to death in the mountains. Pa was too weak to carry on, and I was too weak to support us both. My magical power was almost at its limit.

"Beth…" Pa rasped, "Beth, look at me…" His speech was slurred, and weak. "I want to see you eyes one last time… beautiful bluebell eyes. Your mother's eyes. My wife's eyes." I blinked back the tears that once again threatened to spill out of my eyes. "Your father's hair, such a wonderful shade of violet." Pa laughed, a weak and hollow sound. "Be great, Beth. Show the world what you're capable of. Don't lose your spark…" His shoulders slumped, his chin dropped down to his chest. The tears fell, then. All the tears I had been holding back fell. I let out a cry of anguish and rage, rage at the demon, rage at the cold that had taken my Pa, rage that I had been left alone. It was unfair, unfair, unfair. When I looked back at the ground, the bluebell flame was gone.

Rage quickly turned into desperation. With no source of heat, I would die. My pa had told me I needed to keep going, and I would. I had to spread the word about the demon. Quickly, I removed the thin coat from my Pa's shoulders. Once I found people, I would have him properly buried. Tearfully, I removed the family ring from his finger and placed it in my pocket. It was real gold, with the family motto. My only regret was that Pa hadn't had the family name engraved. I sighed sorrowfully and slipped the ring on my right middle finger. It sized itself to me, as most magical rings did, and I grinned. _The spark burns on, and so shall we. _I came from a long line of fire mages, with the exception of my Pa.

I placed one last kiss on his wrinkled forehead and crept away into the blizzard. Wind and snow pelted my face. Even the hood on the coat didn't do anything to stop my ears from becoming numb from the frigid air. My teeth began to chatter, more fiercely now. I shivered uncontrollably, and my legs became heavy and hard to move. Slowly, I pushed onward. I was too weary to cast another bluebell flame. Too weary to do anything but shiver and walk. My hands were turning blue, as I imagined my lips were. My slow descent lasted only metres until my legs gave out, and I fell.

I was ready to die. Then, all of a sudden, I landed. A pile of snow and ice had broken my fall. A ledge that I hadn't seen before, covered in snow, was what had saved me from a rather nasty fate. A hysterical chuckle escaped my throat. It was then that I realized, with much surprise, that I was not alone on the ledge.

Two boys, one dark haired and one light haired, stared at me blankly. They looked at each other, shrugged, and approached me.

"She looks pretty cold." Remarked the light haired one. The one with dark hair just sighed. Together, they lifted me from the frigid snowbank and looked at each other again. Before I could see what they intended to do next, everything faded into darkness. Peace, quiet and warmth were all that was on my mind as I fainted from exhaustion, cold and trauma.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

In the midst of the blackness, a warm sensation was forcing its way into my nerves. The pleasant numbness and absence of everything was replaced with a pleasant warmth that I hadn't felt in ages. My mind was pleasantly blank, empty of all thoughts. Pa would be wanting me to wake up soon, to help with the chores. Still, I remained in my blissful warmth and cuddled closer to my sister, Anna. She was growing at an alarming rate, I was realizing. It almost seemed like she'd grown a foot since yesterday. On my other side, Louise was also cuddling closer to me. It was warm, it was soft, and I was in no rush. Once again, I let sleep overtake me.

I didn't know how long I'd slept, but I realized that my sisters were gone. They'd probably been hungry and woken up to get some breakfast. My own stomach was rumbling, but I didn't want to get up. It was too hot, now. Too hot and sticky. I rolled onto my other side, lazily calling for Anna and Louise. No answer.

"Anna? Louise?" I called out again. "Are you two awake?" Still no response. I sighed, and rolled over. Food could wait a little longer, and I was still sleepy. Once again, I let sleep overtake me and cuddled deeper into the blankets.

Something was wrong, I realized as I woke up for the third time. Something was really, deeply wrong. I was not at home, on my straw mattress. My blankets were not as soft at home.

Anna and Louise were dead. I sat bolt upright, repressing memories. Shoving them back and locking them away. I was already becoming better at it. My mind was still hazy, and finding memories was like trying to catch smoke with my bare hands. I remembered my Pa, out in the mountains. I remembered my mother smiling in her motherly way, assuring me everything was okay, even with her wounds. I remember finding my father's body, crushed under debris, lifeless and staring into the sky. I remember Anna and Louise trying to run out of the burning building, but not making it in time. I remember fleeing with my Pa, the last of my family, and getting lost in the mountains. I remember how sad he looked, asking to see my eyes one last time.

Tears spilled down my cheeks, even as I tried to blink them back. I wiped at them furiously, trying to push the memory out of my mind, to lock it away forever. I wanted to forget. I wanted to forget about everything. I wanted to turn back time and help my parents escape with my sisters. Then, my whole family could be alive. I stood, and looked at myself in a mirror on the wall. My long, violet hair hung to my waist. Dead straight. I had always gotten compliments on it. My shockingly blue eyes stared back at me, disinterested, judging. A new chapter was beginning in my life. I had to adapt. Quickly, as my father had shown me years ago, I made a tiny knife out of bluebell flames. In one smooth motion, the job was done. My hair, once down to my waist, was cut smoothly to my chin. The bluebell flames burned up the rest, leaving not even ashes behind.

It was then that I realized short hair really did make me look fierce. For a six year old, of course. I was thin and very athletic for my age, and my cheekbones were high. I had a small and pointed nose. The bright blue eyes, however, were my favourite part of myself. They shone in the dim light of the room, almost creating a light of their own.

In the midst of my concentration, I did not notice the woman walk in. I did, however, hear her clear her throat to get my attention. I spun around, and was face-to-torso with a very tall, very busty woman, most likely in her mid-twenties. She smiled warmly at me.

"I can sense you've got some magic power in you." She said kindly. "I am Ul. My two disciples, who found you in the snow, are Lyon and Gray." I smiled back at her.

"I am Beth." I responded. "And yes, I do have magic power. I'm from a long line of fire mages." Ul chuckled grimly.

"I won't ask you why you're alone in the mountains, because I have a feeling I won't want to know. You can stay with us, if you're interested in honing your magic skills. I know a thing or two about creation magic, myself. I use ice, though." Ul sighed. "The cold mountains is no place for a fire mage."

"Then I'll have to be an ice mage, too." I said. "I want to learn. I want to be strong." Ul smiled again.

"You're a lot like Gray, Beth. I think you two will get along fine." I grinned even wider. "We're eating now, if you'd like something. You've been asleep for days. Almost a whole week. We weren't sure if you'd make it through that fever, but you did." She grinned reassuringly. "I've made some soup. Should get all the cold out of your bones." I nodded, remembering the dull ache in my stomach. How long since I had last eaten? Probably at least a week. Soup sounded delightful.

Ul led me to an adjacent room with a large table, already set. A steaming pot of soup was in the middle of the table, where the two boys were dishing out generous helpings for themselves. The dark haired one waved at me, and the light haired one smiled.

"I'm Gray!" The dark haired one said with a friendly smile.

"Beth." I responded. The light haired one spoke next,

"I'm Lyon. Nice to meet you, Beth." I grinned and sat across from the dark haired one, who handed me a soup ladle. I filled up my bowl, and grabbed a biscuit from a plate. Ul was dishing herself up, now, and the boys tucked in.

I followed suit, happy to finally have some food in my stomach after so long. Perhaps this would be a nice place to stay, until I could get to the cities. Find a guild. Make a name for myself.

There was absolutely no need to think that far ahead yet.


End file.
